


Love Wins

by WolfMeister



Series: Stucky One-Shots [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Crying Steve Rogers, Deaf Clint Barton, Dog Tags, M/M, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), SO, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, Steve and Tony are best buds, Tony Is a Good Bro, US Supreme Court, use of the word queer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-16 23:30:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15448269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfMeister/pseuds/WolfMeister
Summary: There were many things that SHIELD decided wasn’t necessary to tell Steve Rogers about the modern world.AKA the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage and I'm 3 years late to the party.





	Love Wins

**Author's Note:**

> yeah yeah, this happened 3 years ago but i had a good angsty idea for it so.
> 
> Also there's a flashback in this that I actually wrote for another fic, but I changed it up a little so it's more from Steve's POV rather than Bucky's.

There were many things that SHIELD decided wasn’t necessary to tell Steve Rogers about the modern world. Of course, most things he learned about within the next year, having to ask the other Avengers about some of the things. Tony was particularly helpful with anything technology related. Natasha introduced him to emojis. He had to find out the hard way that some people still believed in the Nazi ideology. Yet, what surprised Steve the most happened after SHIELD fell, after he found out that Bucky - oh, _Bucky_ \- is still alive, after everything in Sokovia with Ultron. Steve found his way to the common room in the new Avengers Compound after his morning run just a couple of months after Sokovia. Everyone else was sitting or standing conversing with each other, watching the TV as a news channel played in the background. However, once the news anchor mentions the Supreme Court, almost everyone looks up at the screen, stopping their conversations. Except for Clint, who has to be nudged, since his hearing aids are turned off.

“What’s happening?” Steve asks, making Tony jump in surprise.

“Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage,” Natasha replies nonchalantly. Steve tenses as his mind immediately goes to Bucky. He can picture his face so clearly. Tony shushes everyone as the news anchor prepares to announce the decision. Steve’s hand goes up to grasp the dog tags around his neck; not his, but Bucky’s. He hasn’t worn his own dog tags for a long time. He crashed the plane with Bucky’s dog tags around his neck, and he knows that Bucky fell from the train with Steve’s dog tags around his.

“This morning at ten o’clock the Supreme Court ruled, five to four on the _Obergefell v. Hodges_ case,” the news anchor pauses and smiles, “that same-sex marriage is now legal across the nation.” The Avengers whoop and holler, some clapping others on the back. Steve continues to listen to the news anchor and doesn’t notice Sam coming up beside him. “Prior to this ruling, same-sex marriage had already been legalized in thirty-six states as well as Washington D.C.”

"I didn't know," he mutters.

“Hey, you doing alright, Steve?” Sam asks, a kind hand falling on his shoulder. “I know you and Bucky...” he trails off.

But Steve barely hears him, all he can think about is having wanted to marry Bucky for as long as he can remember, yet never being able to. Now they can, but Bucky is nowhere to be found, and Steve doesn’t even know if he remembers, if he still loves him. But he can’t help thinking about the time he asked Bucky to marry him before they went to war.

~

“Wanna get married, Buck?” Steve asks, looking up from his sketchbook and his drawing of Bucky. He looks up from his book that Steve can tell he wasn’t really reading, surprised by the sudden question, the sudden voice in the relatively quiet evening.

“You know we can’t Stevie,” Bucky replies, a small yet sad smile gracing his lips. Steve smiles at him, ignoring the sinking in his chest he always feels at the knowledge that no one can know.

“That doesn’t answer my question.” He gently closes his sketchbook and places it on their small side table next to the armchair Bucky’s sitting in, setting his pencils on top of it. “I wanna know, ‘cause I wanna marry you Bucky.” Bucky’s breath hitches in his throat.

“Yeah,” he says quietly. “Yeah, I wanna marry you. I’d love to.” Steve beckons him over to their bed, because they don’t have a couch, moving his legs up to give Bucky room. Bucky gets up and sits next to him, twisting his torso so he’s facing Steve. Bucky stares at him, and Steve stares right back, smiling with pure joy. “I love you,” Bucky blurts out. Steve’s smile just gets wider, and he feels his eyes light up. It’s the first time Bucky’s said those words to him; the first time either of them have.

“I love you too.” Bucky leans over Steve’s legs and kisses him gently, a simple press of the lips that lingers when they separate. Bucky presses their foreheads together, resting his arm on Steve’s bony knees.

“I wish we didn’t have to hide,” Steve murmurs. “It doesn’t seem right. ‘Specially with you still goin’ out with all those dames.”

“You jealous Stevie?” Bucky teases. He shakes his head.

“I feel bad for them, ‘cause they’ll never be able to have you,” he explains. “Not like me.” Bucky laughs softly.

“No one will. I’m all yours.”

~

Steve feels the tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. He quickly turns around and hurries back to his room before they fall. He barely makes onto his floor before he collapses against the wall and lets out a silent sob. He presses his face against the dog tags still clutched in his hand. He just wants to be held in Bucky’s arms again.

~

“Hey, where’d Rogers head off to?” Tony asks, finally noticing the absence of their resident old man. Sam and Natasha share a look. “Is he, uh, homophobic?”

“Definitely not,” Natasha says. “It’s something personal, and he should be the one to tell everyone.”

“Clearly you know,” Tony points out. Natasha shrugs. “Why?”

“Because I figured it out.”

“And he told me,” Sam adds. “He’s in his room, but I wouldn’t bother him right now.” Tony isn’t one to listen, though. So, he takes the elevator to Steve’s room and readies his fist to knock on the door. He stops when he hears distinct sobbing. Tony lowers his arm.

“Cap?” he whispers. The sobbing stops with a hiccup and sniffle. “You doing okay?”

“Tony? What,” Steve says voice hoarse. He clears his throat before continuing. “What are you doing here?”

“Came to check on you. Mind if I come in?”

“I, uh, yeah sure just, give me a moment.” Tony waits as he hears the rustle of clothes and Steve standing up. He hears something metallic before a few shuffled steps, then Steve opens the door. His eyes are downcast and ringed in red. There are tear tracks down his face, and Tony’s never seen him like this, he’s never seen any of the Avengers like this. Except maybe Bruce.

“Uh, what’s up?” Steve opens his mouth to respond, but closes it and sniffles. He steps aside and Tony enters his room. Steve sits down on the edge of his bed, and Tony takes a seat in an armchair. “What’s wrong?” Steve shakes his head. “I know you aren’t homophobic. Sam and Nat made sure I got that, that we all got that.”

“What else did they say?”

“To leave you alone, which I wasn’t going to do, and that there’s a reason you aren’t homophobic, but it’s personal.”

“Well, the neighbourhood I lived in was known for being a safe spot for queers,” Steve says, sounding detached from reality. “And I’m queer, bisexual.” Tony makes a noise of surprise, but if Steve hears it, he makes no comment. “And I…” Steve leans his head back, looking at the ceiling as he takes a shaky breath. His hand comes up to his neck, pulling a chain out from under his shirt. “Tony,” Steve’s voice cracks and he finally looks into his eyes. Tony sees so much pain and despair. He sees himself reflected in those eyes, and he never expected to see himself in Steve Rogers. “I-I miss Bucky, and we were going to get married, but we couldn’t. Now we can and I don’t know where he is. God, I love him with everything that I have, but I don’t know what to do.” Tony stands up and sits beside Steve as tears start to fall from his blue eyes. He throws an arm around his shoulders.

“Let’s go look for him,” Tony says.

“What good would that do? I’ve been searching for him for over a year!”

“You didn’t have my resources or connections. We’ll find him. We will all help you.” Steve sags.

“I found my dog tags in a Hydra folder. I don't know why they kept them.”

“What?”

“I need to give them back.”

“Don’t you wear them?”

“Not since I rescued Bucky from that factory. I wear his so his name rests next to my heart.” Steve sighs and looks up at Tony with a smile. “I think, if Bucky remembers, I’ll propose to him right then and there. I’ve already waited long enough.”


End file.
